Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and heat for 10 minutes, until hot.

In a medium mixing bowl toss the Brussels sprouts with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, add the Brussels sprouts, spreading them in an even layer, then roast in the oven for 15 minutes, until slightly browned and tender.

In a medium sauté pan, over medium high heat, render the bacon for 5 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until just fragrant.

Add the Brussels sprouts to the sauté pan along with the chicken stock and sherry vinegar and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the butter and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring to combine all ingredients.

Transfer the Brussels sprouts to a serving platter or individual dishes and garnish with the toasted almonds and the shaved Manchego cheese.

Melt butter; add flour; stir and cook for about 5 minutes, but do not brown. Add the onion and garlic and cook on medium heat until the onions are tender. Add the pureed crawfish tails, stirring and cooking for about 5 minutes. Slowly add the cream and stock, stirring constantly. Add the paprika, cayenne, salt and parsley. Cook slowly for about 20 minutes on a slow flame.

Makes about 7 cups. Doubles easily.

Best made the day before and reheated gently.

Notes: I reduced the amount of stock. I didn't think it needed that much liquid especially when doubled. It's a matter of personal taste in the texture you want. I used a food processor for the tails and pulsed so they had some texture to them. I used white pepper and less cayenne. I like the mix. No sugar.

Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and heat for 10 minutes, until hot.

In a medium mixing bowl toss the Brussels sprouts with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, add the Brussels sprouts, spreading them in an even layer, then roast in the oven for 15 minutes, until slightly browned and tender.

In a medium sauté pan, over medium high heat, render the bacon for 5 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until just fragrant.

Add the Brussels sprouts to the sauté pan along with the chicken stock and sherry vinegar and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the butter and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring to combine all ingredients.

Transfer the Brussels sprouts to a serving platter or individual dishes and garnish with the toasted almonds and the shaved Manchego cheese.

Heat the oven to 350. Mix the egg, beaten, with the milk, and cheeses, along with the garlic and parsley. I added a bit of nutmeg, too. Salt and pepper the cheese mix.

Put 2.5 cups of the meat sauce in the pan. Layer a sprinkle of parm o. Top with a layer of dry noodles. Add the cheese mix on top. Repeat at least two more times. Top with the remaining cheese mix. Bake 45 minutes to an hour...until bubbly. Best lasagna I've had and better if you can let it sit a few hours to overnight.

re: TD.com Recipes and Recipe Book Thread - 5th Version(Posted by Stadium Rat on 4/17/13 at 8:12 pm to OTIS2)

My Granddady's Sauce for Chicken

This recipe was given to my grandfather by a guy named Max Schlacher (sp). Between that name, and the vinegar and mustard, you know this is of German origin. I seems likely to be related to Jack Miller-type sauces. My grandfather used to cook this in a brick wishing well pit in his back yard. The chicken was out of this world.

This method works best when the pit is covered and the coals are at least 18 inches below the grill, otherwise, you're going to have to counter flare-ups.

Put oil in a deep pan. Add sliced onions, salt and vinegar. Cook until onions become light in color. Add Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Cook slowly for 1 to 2 hours until onions are well done.

Rub chicken halves with salt and red pepper an hour before putting on the pit. Use the oil as a mopping sauce on the chicken. Separate the onion mixture from the oil for use as a table sauce. Great on white bread.

It’s really important to find big, six-pound ducks to roast and well worth placing a special order with your butcher. When I roast smaller ducks, I find the breasts have a tendency to turn tough and dry. Not good. You know the duck is perfectly cooked when you’re able to grab the drumstick with a kitchen towel and twist it with relative ease.

The night before, generously salt the ducks and place in the refrigerator. The next day, remove and rinse with water. Add the cane syrup to 1 gallon of water and bring to a boil. Place one duck at a time inside and boil for 12 minutes. Place the ducks on a roasting rack breast side up in a roasting pan.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Roast, turning every 30 minutes until the skin turns black and the leg bones turn with ease, about 1 ½ hours. Allow the ducks to cool and then cut away the breasts and legs.

For the stock, place the remainder of the ducks in a pot with 1 gallon of water, onion, celery and carrots. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 2 hours. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve and reserve for the sauce. Save about 2 cups of the stock to re-warm the duck before serving.

In a sauce pan over medium heat, sauté the onions until soft. Stir in the sugar, vinegar, preserves and reserved quart of stock. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until reduced by three-fourths; it should be glossy and slightly thick.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Pour the reserved duck stock into the pan to cover the bottom and place the breast and legs on top. Heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the rest of the sauce on the crisped skin. Serve with Perfect Mashed Potatoes.

At the very end of the Food Heritage area, closest to the Jazz Tent, is the booth that sells one of my favorite dishes at the New Orleans Jazz Fest: The meaty white beans. I've already raved about them in print, but this year I met the owners, who dish out the beans and the barbecue ribs, barbecue turkey wings, cole slaw and peach cobbler every year.

Bertrand and Renee Bailey met at Louisiana State University, and this is the 14th year they have been vendors at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell. They are able to tell exactly, because their daughter Blaire, now their cashier at the booth, was born the year they got in.

"I've been in food service 30 years," Bertrand said. "I started cooking as a way to put myself through college. I always had a passion for cooking."

They have a catering company in Baton Rouge, Down Home Creole Cookin', and Renee also is a teacher and librarian at Winbourne Elementary in Baton Rouge. She grew up in the capital city, and Bertrand is from Edgard in St. John Parish, where his daddy was a farmer. Both learned to cook from their mothers.

When there was an opening for a barbecue ribs vendor at Jazz Fest, they applied, and brought the meaty white beans as a side.

"They wanted pork and beans, but this is like pork and beans," Bertrand said. Only not as sweet and much meatier.

Cook celery and onion in broth until tender. Add the green onions. Pour celery and onion mixture into a large mixing bowl. Gradually add the cornbread, french bread and crawfish alternately. Season with salt(careful with the salt), black pepper and a little cayenne pepper. When all is mixed well melted butter and stock or broth to desired moistness. Can be used as a stuffing for chicken, duck, turkey, thick double cut pork chops or bake in a casserole dish at 325 degrees for 20-30 minutes. When baked as a casserole I usually add a few pats of butter on top and let the top get a little browned. Be careful not to over bake and dry out.

Slice (peeled) tomatoes (I do not peel them). I put onion, slat, sugar, vinegar, and garlic all in at once and let simmer for several hours. ( I mince the onion and garlic fine.) (Do not heap black pepper spoon if it is fresh and strong.)

When tomatoes etc... have cooked a long time slowly, I run this through a sieve. I place jice in a crock; after it has cooled, I put in the refrigerator and then finish making it the next day. (Too much work for one day.)

Several days after I take out juice and make a bag and sew the spices and pepper, etc... in this bag. Then place bag in juice and let simmer until it has cooked to the right consistency.

Slice/Tear French Bread into 1/2 inch thick “croutons.” In large mixing bowl, combine Eggs and Egg Yolks and whisk together. In a large saucepan (or double boiler), combine whipping cream, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar and bring to a low-medium simmer. Slowly stir in 1 pound of white chocolate chips. Stir into mixture until chocolate is completely melted and dissolved. Remove pot from heat and stir in egg mixture. Make sure to whisk it quickly into the mixture to prevent the eggs from scrambling. In a 9” x 13” baking dish, place bread slices in several layers and add remaining 1/4 to 1/2 cup white chocolate chips evenly throughout the bread (amount varies by taste). Pour 1/2 of the cream mixture over the entire dish, allowing it time (about a minute) to soak. Using your fingertips, gently press the mixture into the bread, spreading it well throughout. Add remaining mixture and repeat. Once finished, cover with foil, refrigerate, and allow to soak overnight (about 6-8 hours).

re: TD.com Recipes and Recipe Book Thread - 5th Version(Posted by windshieldman on 7/24/13 at 8:31 pm to Winkface)

Pear relish recipe

12 large pears 4 large bell peppers, do a variety of different colors 3 large banana peppers 1 large onion 6 large dill pickles CHOP UP ALL ABOVE, you can cut them up cubed or different sizes, doesn't have to be perfect

Add all dry ingredients with 1 cup vinegar and heat to medium til it thickens. Once thickens, approx 10-15 minutes and make sure to stir every few minutes add all the pears, peppers, etc with 2 cups of vinegar and boil for about 20 minutes. Won't seem like enough liquid but juices from pears and stuff will cook out. Stir very good and make sure to keep the bottom stirred so it won't burn. Place in jars and let sit till they seal. Put in fridge for a couple days before eating.

re: TD.com Recipes and Recipe Book Thread - 5th Version(Posted by OTIS2 on 8/20/13 at 10:12 am to windshieldman)

I did this for a dinner party Saturday night. Turned out very well. It's a recipe from Tim Creehan of Cuvee Bistro outside of Destin. It's easy and worth a try. He calls it a soup...I say it's a bisque.

1.Sprinkle a smoker with soaked hickory chips and preheat. Cut the onions in half and place them and the whole tomatoes on the smoker rack. Smoke over low heat for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and chop. 2.Saute the bacon in a heavy soup pot. Add the onions, tomatoes and garlic. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the next 6 ingredients; mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. 3.Process the mixture in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. (I used a big arse stick blender.) Combine the mixture in the soup pot; stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper and heat to serving temperature. Ladle the soup into soup bowls and top with the steamed shrimp and chopped parsley or chive stems.

Steps Brown the beef and pork in a large heavy pot. Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until they are wilted, for about five minutes. Add the eggplant and water and simmer until the eggplant is very tender and soft. Mash with a fork. Season with salt, black pepper and cayenne. Add the thyme. Add the rice and parsley. Mix well and serve warm. Serves 8.

1. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Saute chicken gizzard in the oil for 4 to 5 minutes until cooked. Remove gizzards from the pan and finely mince.

2. Add bell pepper to the saucepan and saute it for 1 minute. Add the ground beef and ground tasso to the pan and cook it until it's brown. Use a potato masher to smash meat into tiny pieces as it browns.

3. Add water and beef broth to the pan. Immediately whisk in cornstarch and flour. Add remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gravy for 30 to 35 minutes or until thick.

Fry the bacon. Remove it and add the flour to the grease and make a nice dark roux. Add the oyster liquid, incorporate, and remove from the heat.

In a separate pot, brown the ground meats, adding first the onions, then green onions, garlic and parsley. Transfer to the roux and add the crumbled bacon and oysters. Season to taste with the salt, peppers and/or Tony's.

The texture should be pretty tight. Stir in a pinch of flour or cornstarch if it's too loose. Pour into the deep shell, cover with the second, vent with a knife or fork and brush with remaining butter, melted.

Place in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, then cut to 350 for an additional 25to 30 minutes until golden on top. Damn good.

Mods: You can double the oysters and cut out some or all of the ground meat. You can add a little celery and bell pepper to the sauté if you wish. It's a great dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and cube eggplant, blanche in boiling water for 5 minutes, set aside. In a large pan saute onion,bell peppers, and garlic until tender, add ground beef and sausage and cook until browned. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you are daring) Add salad shrimp to meat mixture, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes until shrimp is pink. In a large mixing bowl, mix eggplant, meat mixture, bread crumbs, picante sauce and 1/2 of the pepper jack cheese. Pour mixture into two casserole dishes and top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with parsley. Bake 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbling. Makes about 16-20 servings